


Things in Common

by LyriaBlackFrost



Series: Ryuji's Birthday 2020 [4]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Insecurity, Mutual Support
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24948646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: It’s the first time Ryuji and Makoto go out as a couple, and neither of them is sure of how to make that date work.
Relationships: Niijima Makoto/Sakamoto Ryuji
Series: Ryuji's Birthday 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1801777
Comments: 6
Kudos: 60





	Things in Common

Makoto was surprised when Ryuji approached her, asking for her help with his studies.

Not that him asking for help before a test was anything unusual, but the surprising part was his declaration that, despite his previous plans of finding a full-time job as soon as he graduated, he was now planning to continue his studies and go to college. Those were great news, and Makoto told herself she would do everything she could to help him, which resulted in frequent study sessions whenever they had some free time—which also resulted in an unexpected interest on her part, as she got to know him better. They were close as Phantom Thieves, of course, but getting to know Ryuji in a more personal manner made Makoto see him in a different light, to the point of wishing their relationship could go beyond those study sessions and their meetings as Phantom Thieves. More than once, she tried to gather the courage to ask him out, but every time, without fail, she would give up as soon as she opened her mouth.

“Your grades got a little better,” she said with a pleased smile, taking a look at his tests. “It’s good to see that your efforts are paying off. Just don’t get too confident and stop studying, alright?”

“I won’t,” answered Ryuji. “I’m sorry for always botherin’ you.”

“It’s not a bother,” answered Makoto. “Besides, I’m happy to know you decided to apply for college next year. I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to change your mind about it.”

Her words made Ryuji avert his gaze.

“Yeah… I just hope I made the right decision.” He placed a hand on the side of his neck, lowering his voice. “Y’know, I just don’t wanna be a burden to my mom any longer than I need to.”

“I’m sure she never saw you like that,” assured Makoto. “If anything, you’re the one who judges yourself the worst.”

“Maybe…” admitted Ryuji with a sigh, before offering Makoto a smile. “Thanks for believing in me, though.”

“Of course I do,” she answered.

She couldn’t see anything wrong with her words, but they still seemed to leave Ryuji a little restless.

“Anyway…” He showed a slightly forced smile as he changed the subject. “I really owe you one now… Is there anythin’ I can do to thank you?”

A brief wave of electricity seemed to spread throughout her body, and the answer came to her mouth before she could even think properly about it.

“How about we go out together to a place you like?”

In the end, it hadn’t been as difficult to say as she expected. However, Ryuji’s reaction—a small, amused laugh—caught her by surprise.

“You askin’ me out on a date?” he asked.

She didn’t know how to answer. _Had she been too direct?_ Maybe it had been improper to ask him out like that, without any warning. Ryuji’s laugh slowly dried up, giving place to an embarrassed expression.

“I was joking…” he said.

“I wasn’t.”

Her answer made him widen his eyes, staring at her for a long while before averting his gaze.

“You sure you don’t want somethin’ else?” he asked.

As she imagined, her request had left Ryuji uncomfortable. She made an effort not to let the disappointment show on her face.

“Was it an inconvenient request?” she asked.

“No!” he quickly answered, gesturing with both hands. “I just…” He lowered his voice, without looking her in the eyes. “I don’t think I know any places you’d like.”

“That’s the idea,” Makoto offered him a slight smile. “I want to visit places different from the ones I’m used to.”

Ryuji blinked, spending some long seconds with a lost expression. Then, he let out a nervous laugh.

“Ah… I get it now,” he said. “My bad, I got it totally wrong.”

Makoto furrowed her brow, a little confused by that sudden change.

“How so?” she asked.

“Nevermind…” Ryuji gestured briefly while forcing a smile. “When is a good day for you?”

His casual reaction, instead of reassuring, only worried Makoto.

“Ryuji…” She had to fight the urge to just leave things as they were, forcing herself to speak her following words. “You know this is supposed to be a romantic date, don’t you?”

The smile froze on his lips, slowly fading away as a strong flush covered his face and neck.

“Is it…?” he asked in a low voice.

His reactions were starting to make Makoto nervous too.

“What did you think I meant?” she asked.

“That you wanted to go out and have fun…” muttered Ryuji. “But like, as friends.”

“I see…”

“But this is fine!” he added quickly. “I mean… I’m fine with a… romantic date too…”

His tone became lower with each word, until his voice was barely audible. Still, for Makoto’s relief, he didn’t look displeased.

“That’s good to hear…” she said. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I expressed myself too well.”

“It’s fine,” answered Ryuji, dismissing the apology with a gesture. “At least we’re on the same page now.”

“That’s true.”

If anything, that clarification helped with clearing the awkwardness. They made plans for the next weekend, and Makoto would be lying if she said she wasn’t excited about the idea. She had never been on an actual date before… Sometimes, she would go somewhere with friends, like Akira and Haru, but the thought of doing it with the person she liked was something entirely new.

When Sunday finally came, she met Ryuji at the train station. He greeted her with a wide smile, but something about his tone of voice and restless manners made her realize that, maybe, he was as anxious as herself.

“I was thinking about where to go…” said Ryuji. “Would you like to play some games? We can go eat somethin’ after that.”

His choice of place had been the same as Akira’s, when she asked his help with acting more like a girl her age. She smiled to herself, amused by how alike those two were, despite being so different in their appearances—no wonder they were so close.

“Sounds good,” she said. “Please, lead the way.”

Ryuji did it, taking her to the arcade. She wasn’t used to the place yet, but at least didn’t feel as lost as when she came with Akira. She commented with Ryuji that she was slightly familiar with one of those games, and he agreed to play it with her.

“You ain’t bad…” said Ryuji after a while. “Actually, you’re pretty good.”

“Do you think so?” asked Makoto. “I came here with Akira once before, so maybe I got used to it.”

“Once?” repeated Ryuji in disbelief. “You don’t get this good after playing just once!”

She could tell he wasn’t saying that just to please her, and, as silly as it could be, it made her feel proud of herself.

“Well, I appreciate the compliment,” she said.

“I’m serious!” insisted Ryuji. “Damn, are you good at everythin’ you do?”

The question almost made her laugh.

“Far from it…” she said. “I just try not to let my worse sides show.”

She could feel Ryuji’s gaze on her, but managed to keep her attention on the screen—which kept her character from being hit, unlike Ryuji’s.

“Y’know…” he said, turning his attention back to the screen. “That makes me kinda curious to see them.”

“I suppose I’ll have to make a bigger effort to hide them from now on.”

“C’mon…” Ryuji sighed. “It ain’t like I’m gonna judge you or anythin’ like that.”

“I know, but it’s still embarrassing.”

This time, she couldn’t ignore Ryuji’s gaze, glancing at him, only to see a soft smile on his face.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Nothing…” he shook his head. “It’s just kinda cute to hear you say that.”

His words made her heart jump. She always thought it was an exaggeration whenever a woman in a book or movie became flustered because of a compliment like that, but hearing it from the person she liked was… Well, it surely had a different effect on her.

“Maybe I should train some aikido moves on you…” she said.

“Please, don’t…” answered Ryuji.

“I’m just kidding. I wouldn’t do that on our first date.”

“Only the first?”

She glanced at him again, a small, playful smile on her lips.

“Just something to keep in mind from now on,” she said.

“You can be pretty scary when you want to…”

Contrary to his words, his tone was also playful, which was a relief. It was still difficult for her to express how she felt, and, more often than not, her words would convey the wrong meaning. She knew she was getting better at it, but it was still a reason for her to worry. Thankfully, Ryuji didn’t seem bothered by it, and it helped her relax and start to think less before speaking—which, unsurprisingly, only made the conversation flow better.

When they left the arcade later, Makoto was surprised by how fast the time had passed. She was quickly starting to like games, and wondered if Sae would be angry if she bought a game console for herself. Maybe not, as long as it didn’t affect her grades. It could also help if she got an old or used one…

Her mind was brought back to reality when she felt Ryuji’s hand on hers. She reacted without thinking, pulling her hand back out of pure surprise. Ryuji stared at her, and, for a moment, neither of them said a word.

“Ah, I’m sorry…” she said. “I’m still…”

“No, it’s fine,” answered Ryuji, showing a reassuring smile. “I should be the one apologizing.”

She thought that reaction would make things strange between them, but soon Ryuji was casually talking about what they should eat, so she told herself she was the one worrying too much about everything. In the end, they decided to go to a cafe neither of them had visited before, and she liked the idea of both of them sharing a new experience together. After making their orders, they took their seats in a more reserved part of the cafe, across from each other, and spent the following minutes quietly eating. Makoto was almost finished when Ryuji finally spoke.

“Hey…” he hesitated for a second. “Does it bother you?”

Makoto raised her eyes, unsure of what to say.

“What do you mean?”

Ryuji shrugged briefly, avoiding eye contact.

“People seein’ you with a punk like me,” he muttered.

She stared at him, needing some time to understand the reason for that question.

“Is this because I pulled my hand away?” she asked.

“Ah… no!” Ryuji looked at her, only to lower his gaze a moment later. “I mean, maybe… It just made me think…”

“Think about what?”

“That, y’know…” Ryuji hesitated again. “We don’t really have much in common.”

She didn’t expect those words to hurt so much. Yes, she knew they had few things in common, and that such a thing could become a problem in a relationship. But still… she enjoyed the time they spent together, and the conversations they shared. Besides, she wanted to know more about Ryuji, and believed he was willing to do the same for her.

“Ryuji…” she said. “Give me your hand.”

He looked at her for a moment, then did as she said. She carefully held his hand between hers, not saying anything for a while, simply paying attention to the feeling.

“See?” she said. “I just need to get used to doing this in public.”

“You sure?”

He was still uncertain, so Makoto tried her best to sound confident.

“Yes,” she said. “So, please, don’t think that I’m embarrassed of being with you.”

Ryuji nodded slowly.

“My bad…” he murmured. “Guess I just got nervous for nothing.”

“As long as you understand why I did it,” answered Makoto. “This is my first date, so I’m not sure what I should do.”

“It’s the same for me.”

The slight embarrassment in his words made her smile.

“I see…” she said. “We’re both inexperienced, then.”

“Seems like it,” answered Ryuji with a small, nervous laugh. “Are you havin’ fun, at least?”

“Of course.”

“That’s good.”

He was still avoiding her gaze. Makoto squeezed his hand, making him look at her once again.

“Listen…” she said. “You’re not the only one who is nervous right now.”

“Really?” Ryuji furrowed his brow. “You don’t look nervous.”

“To be honest, I’ve been nervous since before asking you out,” admitted Makoto. “And today, I spent a long time worrying that I would make things awkward between us by accident. Even now, I’m afraid to say the wrong words and ruin our day.” She showed a small, humorless smile. “I’m just good at hiding these things.”

It was Ryuji’s turn to gently squeeze her hand, making Makoto look at him.

“You know you don’t need to hide them from me, right?” he said.

“Yes.” She lowered her gaze. “But I’m still getting used to it.”

She thought about the situation for a moment, before looking into Ryuji’s eyes.

“The same goes for you,” she said. “You don’t need to feel so insecure around me. I want you to enjoy our time together as well.”

“I know…” said Ryuji. “But maybe it’ll take some time for me to get used to it, too. I mean, you’re the coolest girl I’ve ever met… I still can’t believe you wanna go out with a guy like me.”

Makoto shook her head.

“I’m not as cool as you think.” She sighed, then changed her tone to a more serious one. “Besides, I don’t like that self-deprecating tone of yours.”

“Sorry… I didn’t mean it like that.”

She observed Ryuji in silence for a moment. As they became closer, it became more and more apparent how insecure he could be about himself; yet, she couldn’t blame him for it, since she carried that same flaw. Maybe, if they allowed it, those insecurities would stand between them like a wall, pushing them away from each other much more than their differences. She took a deep breath, gathering her courage to speak again.

“I don’t know if I made this clear before, but I like you.” She made a brief pause. “I want this relationship to work, and for that, I need you to trust me when I say you’re fine the way you are, and that I like being by your side.”

“I understand…” said Ryuji. “But I don’t want you tryin’ to look strong around me either. I joke around an’ all, but I don’t care that you ain’t perfect. If somethin’ is bothering you, I want you to tell me so I can help.”

She considered his words, then agreed with a nod.

“Let’s both make an effort, then,” she said. “No more hiding feelings, and no more self-deprecation. Sounds good?”

Her words seemed to reach Ryuji, making him relax a little.

“Yeah, sounds good.”

Ryuji placed his other hand over hers, and that simple gesture made her feel as if they became a little closer than before. It came as a nice, peaceful feeling in her chest, which only confirmed that, yes, she wanted them to grow even closer from then on.

“Y’know…” said Ryuji. “I was pretty anxious today, but I feel kinda better now that we talked about it.”

“Me too,” admitted Makoto.

She glanced at the empty seat beside Ryuji, then stood up, approaching it.

“Is it fine if I sit here?” she asked.

“Sure!”

She took that seat, close enough for their bodies to lightly touch. Ryuji placed his arms around her shoulders, and she slowly leaned against his chest.

“This is still embarrassing to me,” she admitted. “But I like it.”

“I think I’m already getting used to it,” answered Ryuji.

His honest response made Makoto look at him, slightly amused.

“That didn’t take long,” she said.

“How should I say it?” He tried to find the words for a moment. “It feels nice to be close to you.”

She could understand what he meant, but part of her still wondered if that kind of proximity would ever stop making her heart race, like at that very moment.

* * *

When they left the cafe, the afternoon was already coming to an end, giving place to the chilly air of the early evening. She hugged her own arms, a small shiver going down her body.

“When did it get so cold?”

As soon as she said those words, Ryuji took off his jacket.

“Here,” he said, placing it around her shoulders. “Take it.”

The gesture took her by surprise. She reached for the jacket, holding it close to her body, a smile taking her lips.

“You’re such a gentleman,” she said.

Ryuji’s face and neck were immediately covered by a reddish color.

“C’mon…” he said. “It ain’t a big deal.”

His reaction made Makoto laugh, more out of fondness than amusement.

“Your jacket is comfortable,” she said.

The comment made Ryuji look at her, paying more attention to her clothes.

“Looks good on you,” he said. “But it ain’t nothin’ like your usual style…”

“Who knows?” answered Makoto. “I could get used to it as well.”

She reached for his hand, and Ryuji intertwined their fingers. It wasn’t awkward this time, and that realization was pleasing to Makoto, who moved slightly closer to Ryuji as they walked those streets without any haste.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!


End file.
